Bullet proof armor shield

Abstract

A bullet proof armor shield comprising a composite construction utilizing a ceramic-like armor plate and layers of a nylon-like cloth which provides a high degree of ballistic resistance and relatively light weight. The armor construction is characterized by an elongate armor component having an outer housing having a generally trapazoidal or parallelogram cross-section taken along a plane normal to its longest dimension. The armor components are adapted to be removably placed in pockets provided in an outer housing in closely adjacent relationship along the sloping edges of adjacent components to provide an overlap between them in edge to edge alignment. The individual armor components include a plurality of interior compartments adapted to receive a ceramic-like armor plate. The compartments and their respective plates are aligned in forward and rearward spaced pairs with adjacent pairs staggered to provide a degree of overlapping protection and in a pattern tending to minimize the overall weight while providing complete coverage of the area to be protected. The ceramic-like plates are of a configuration which generally adapt to the cross-section of the outer housing and include a central portion and tapered wing sections.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an armor shield having a front and rear face, the combination of: a plurality of elongated rows, each of said rows formed by a plurality of ceramic plates arranged in adjacent relationship to one another to form a projectile barrier; each of said plates forming one of said rows having a first surface and a second generally planar surface, each extending in a generally parallel direction to the front and rear faces of said armor shield; said first surface including a generally rectangular central portion and a pair of intergrally formed wing portions having a generally quadrilateral configuration, said central portion being upraised from said wing portions; each of said plates forming one said elongated rows being disposed in said row with its first surface oppositely disposed relative to the disposition of said first surface of adjacent plates in said row and with its wing portions essentially fully overlapping a wing portion of each adjacent and oppositely disposed plate in the row; and each plate further having a cross-sectional configuration along a plane perpendicular to the length of said rows which defines a quadrilateral configuration taken from a group consisting essentially of a parallelogram or a trapezoid; each of said elongated rows of plates being disposed closely adjacent to one another with the sides of said plates defining the major and minor angle of said quadrilateral configuration being in overlapping relationship with the sides of the plates in an adjacently disposed row of plates. 
     
     
       2. The shield defined in claim 1 including a second projectile barrier formed by another plurality of said elongated rows of said plates disposed in rearwardly spaced parallel relationship to said first defined elongated rows, each of said plates in said second projectile barrier aligned in parallel relationship with a respective one of said plates in said first defined projectile barrier and having its first surface disposed in an oppositely facing direction relative to said first surface of an opposing plate in said first defined projectile barrier. 
     
     
       3. The shield defined in claim 2 wherein the plate forming a parallel set of said first and second projectile barriers are disposed with the sides of each of said plates defining the major and minor angles of said quadrilateral configuration being aligned parallel to one another.